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25th October 2014, 12:41 PM #16Cba
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> This list does raise an interesting question though: Why would a bottle of wine cost so much more
> here than in Netherlands, I’m led to believe Australia has a thriving and robust wine industry????
Australian wine, like Australian Cheese, are both still grossly overpriced. Imported wines and cheeses even more so. But this is changing. At your next Aldi store you will find imported wines and cheeses from Europe at very reasonable prices. Just not available all the times.
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25th October 2014 12:41 PM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
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25th October 2014, 06:41 PM #17GOLD MEMBER
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- May 2011
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- Murray Bridge SA
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Jan, you're more than welcome to "couch surf" at my place
Kryn
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25th October 2014, 08:07 PM #18GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Oct 2004
- Location
- Melbourne, Australia.
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- 1,271
Two years ago my wife's sister and her husband from Germany came out to visit. We purchased (with their money) a Mercedes Sprinter motorhome, which was an ex rental unit. I added solar so the compressor refrigerator and lights could be run with no mains power as we stayed in the sticks for some lengthy periods, including one stop where we propped with no driving and no mains power for five days.
We did around 11,000 km in 2½ months on one trip, plus some other side trips either end. When the dust settled they lost $5,000 AUD on their motorhome, plus the diesel they used. To rent a like vehicle was going to be around $12,000 AUD but it would not be allowed to go to any place that had a dirt road, which is fairly restrictive. The other option would to hire a 4WD camper, they are available, but the cost was going to be around $15,000 AUD which just wasn't acceptable to them, or us.
I would suggest you think about applying for a six month visa, as it can be done. There are also 1 year visas as well, I know this as a neighbour has a friend staying at the moment and they are on a 12 month visa.
We have travelled over much of this country and time and distance is your enemy here. Next year we are heading off and we expect that short trip to take about 2½ months, the year after, our longer trip will take about 5 months.
You may think of purchasing a second hand motor home here, there are quite a few. Selling is a problem if you don't have someone living here able to do it for you, though.
As far as costs are concerned, we travelled for a couple of months in Germany this year, specialising in the northern part this time, from Poland in the east to Netherland in the west, with very brief incursions to both of those countries. We pretty much stayed in small hotels or in tourist areas in smaller again places and ate out. We usually spent around 80 Euro a day for bed and breakfast, Zimmer mit fruhstuck for both of us. The minimum would have been 70 Euro and the maximum was 150 Euro a day (at St Peter Ording) I think that's what it was called, used to be part of Holland not that long ago it seems. But the average cost for the time we were in Germany was about 90 Euro a day. This is reasonably close to what you would average on a long trip in this country staying at many places, but the standard outside of the big cities in this country is nowhere as good as Germany, more like Spain.
Regardless, you should be able to have a good time, it just costs money.
Mick.
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25th October 2014, 08:28 PM #19
Yes, most people in Europe don't grasp the distances in this country.
For instance I can drive from Adelaide to Mt Gambier (used to do that quite often) and do 500km and still be in South Australia, that same distance takes you from Amsterdam to Paris and you have visited 3 countries.
Last year we did a trip to Far North Queensland (FNQ) and we did 10,000km in just under 6 weeks. Earlier this year we did a trip to Tasmania, doesn't look that big but it is twice the size of the Netherlands, that trip was 5000kms as well as an overnight ferry trip (which cost a cool $1650 return for car and caravan).
People on another forum were getting visitors from the Netherlands, they wanted to do Cairns - Sydney with all the side trips in 2 weeks. Yes it can be done, but all you will see is bitumen!
Ultimately I agree with others, your best and cheapest bet is to buy a used 4wd with a tent already on top and either sell it your self before you leave or have someone sell it for you.
Again you will find the backpacker network very helpful in this, you can probably buy something like that from a backpacker leaving Oz at a good price.
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25th October 2014, 09:02 PM #20
We did a 3 month house swap with some couples in Europe you swap house and car worked great for us. Very cheap way of doing it. Houseexchange.com is how we did it.
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25th October 2014, 09:25 PM #21Member
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- Jul 2014
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- eindhoven the netherlands
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- 83
Thanks for the tip, checked it out.
For once in my life i will have no obligations what so ever to whom ever.
In the past on a vacation if i got bored i would either move on or find something useful to do.
I gather there are lots of useful things to do so i wont get bored.
cheers
jan
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25th October 2014, 09:27 PM #22Member
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- Jul 2014
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- eindhoven the netherlands
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- 83
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25th October 2014, 09:32 PM #23Member
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- Jul 2014
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- eindhoven the netherlands
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- 83
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25th October 2014, 09:38 PM #24Member
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- eindhoven the netherlands
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25th October 2014, 09:51 PM #25Member
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- Jul 2014
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- eindhoven the netherlands
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In years long gone by the brits and the dutch were free to even settle in australia i believe.
I' ll make sure the visa will be o.k., as i dont want to spend my time as an foreigner in an immigrants camp.
New Zealand was on my list anyway so it will have to fit in between then..
As far as i know i dont know a soul in australia, but isnt making friends one of the goals of travelling?
cheers
jan
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25th October 2014, 10:24 PM #26Member
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- Jul 2014
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- eindhoven the netherlands
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hi,
thanks for the links.
New cars are more expensive in holland, the second hand ones aren't.
I compared prices of second hand ones on ebay australia with the prices i know of in holland, and they are a lot cheaper over here.
Groveries seem to be cheaper in australia than overhere, so is fuell.
And those are the things i wil be spending the major part of my money on.
Wages dont come into the equation as i dont have any and i only compare how much bang i get for a buck.
I must say i was baffled by the fact that housing is more expensive in australia than in holland.
Building itself must be real expensive in australia as groundprices in holland are up to euro 400 a square meter, and thats talking rural not city.
cheers
jan
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25th October 2014, 10:50 PM #27Member
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- Jul 2014
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- eindhoven the netherlands
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- 83
Hi Mick
thanks for the info.
I think i will be buying a campervan/bush taxi and selling afterwards or taking it home with me.
Another possibility, i hope, would be renting a privately owned campervan/bush taxi.
Nothing fancy but just reliable enough.
I would rather be spending the same amount of money on a sturdy, owner built, loved and cared for campervan/bush taxi with character than on a modern, all conveniences , company owned campervan.
cheers
jan
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25th October 2014, 11:04 PM #28Member
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- Jul 2014
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- eindhoven the netherlands
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- 83
Hi
thanks for the info.
I was aware that australia is vast and distances are on a scale different than we are used to here.
But that's what makes it different and exciting...
I would love to get a used 4x4 be it a campervan or a with a tent on top.
The 4.2 liter non turbo diesel toyota bush taxi is on top of my list.
That one i would undoubtedly take home with me no matter what state it is in.
You mentioned the backpacker network, but how will i be able to find it?
cheers
jan
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26th October 2014, 04:05 PM #29Senior Member
- Join Date
- Apr 2008
- Location
- Perth
- Posts
- 289
Travelling, New Adventure
Hello Bloke
Only thing I have to add is that if you get as far as West Oz, be mindful of the Cyclone season in the North West, which starts in November and finishes in Aril the following year. Unless you like extremely hot weather like me , do not attempt that area in summer, expect days of 47C plus. Truck drivers in Oz do not stick to the left hand lane only are are not speed restricted like they are in Europe, Sunday is not a day of rest for them either. Expect to see prime movers with 3 trailers in tow doing the Nth West and inland parts of oz. There are a myrid of things to look out for, but that is part of the adventure of driving, as I found out when driving through Europe in 2011 & 2013.
I have a Bush Taxi that needs a new home.
Wish you a safe journey travelling through oz.
DD
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27th October 2014, 04:40 PM #30Hewer of wood
- Join Date
- Jan 2002
- Location
- Melbourne, Aus.
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- 71
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- 12,746
Yeah, most of the semi-arid country like the Kimberley, Central Australia and the desert areas of Qld, NSW and SA shouldn't be tackled in late Spring or Summer. Too damn hot.
My Dutch uncle has visited Aus several times with his wife and has driven more of it than I have. He buys a 2nd hand campervan from some firm in Sydney and gets a guaranteed buy-back price when he returns it. This website outlines the idea but I have no idea which firm he used: http://www.buyingcampervansydney.com...nteed-buyback/
Jan, do your research on where to travel and what you can safely access. Too many overseas travellers set out driving through places that they are quite under-equipped for.
www.exploroz.com is a useful website for information on destinations, routes, equipment etc.Cheers, Ern
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